There is a known “Semiconductor Pressure Sensor,” disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication H5-52691, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, as a dual pressure sensor for measuring a pressure between two points. The semiconductor pressure sensor measures the differential pressure in fluids by detecting two pressures separately using respective pressure-sensitive diaphragm chips and then subtracting these measured pressures. Because of this, the semiconductor pressure sensor is provided with not only two pressure-sensitive diaphragm chips, but also with an airtight container for sealing the chip airtightly, and a substrate, whereon are disposed each of the pressure-sensitive diaphragm chips, provided within the airtight container. A shared pressure reference chamber for the two pressure-sensitive diaphragm chips is formed within the airtight container. The outputs of the individual pressure-sensitive diaphragm chips are connected to the outside of the airtight container through terminals. The substrate is provided with two pressure connecting tubes that connect the pressures to be measured to the respective pressure-sensitive diaphragm chips.
However, the semiconductor pressure sensor disclosed in Japanese Application Publication H5-52691 is structured from many components: two pressure connecting tubes for connecting to the fluid to be measured, two pressure-sensitive diaphragm chips for measuring the respective pressures to be measured, a substrate upon which the individual pressure-sensitive diaphragm chips are mounted, and two terminals for connecting electrically the respective pressure-sensitive diaphragm chips through wire bonding. Because of this, the component count is high, and thus there is a problem in that the assembly operations are time-consuming, and the efficiency of the assembly operations is low.
In addition, because, in particular, the two pressure-sensitive diaphragm chips are disposed in common on a single substrate, if either of the pressure-sensitive diaphragm chips fails for some reason, both of the chips must be replaced by the substrate unit, or in other words, the entire unit must be replaced. This means that the pressure-sensitive diaphragm chip that is functioning normally must be discarded, which is uneconomical. Additionally, the two pressure guide tubes must be fabricated separately and attached passing through a lid portion of the airtight container, and thus there is a problem in that this requires an attachment with a high level of airtightness.